Words of Apology

Dear insects who were tormented by me: are you passing your days in good health up in heaven?

When I was little, I did a great many cruel things to you all. Pouring water into ants’ nest holes, dropping ants into an antlion’s pit, spinning a dragonfly tied to a thread—thinking of it now, I feel truly sorry to all of you creatures who became my targets.

But those acts of that time, when I still had no concept of cruelty and simply did them for fun, were by no means in vain; it seems to me they taught the grown-up me—having gained morality and order—the true meaning of cruelty and the preciousness of life.

To all of you creatures who became my targets: I did terrible things to you, and I apologize from the bottom of my heart. You are the teachers of my life’s education. Never forgetting this debt, I intend to go on putting it to use in my creative work and sending forth sentiment from here on.

I look forward to the day I can meet you all again.

Yours sincerely,
Keita Kawasaki